Animal Welfare in Australia

We received this exciting release of news from Companion Animal Network TV in New York

“Dear Friends of Animals,
This Saturday July 25 at NY City Animal Care and Control (“NYCACC”) in Manhattan, New York City’s animals and their guardians are finally getting what has long been needed, a super low cost mobile veterinary hospital with full surgical capabilities for limited income pet parents, rescue groups, and rescue adoptions. Whereas the ASPCA has taken the lead in operating five low cost and free Spay Neuter vans for limited income pet parents, the new Vet Mobile will only be providing full veterinary services to those qualified pet parents, not spay neuters. The launch of the Vet Mobile is being celebrated in conjunction with the Mayor’s Alliance for NY City Animals, North Shore Animal League, and NYCACC. North Shore Animal League will be featuring the NYCACC foster animals in their 40 ft. Mobile Adoption Van. The Mayor’s Alliance for NYC Animals will be providing $10 microchips, including registration.

Next Wednesday, July 29th, the Vet Mobile will premiere at the Brooklyn NYCACC. Thereafter the Vet Mobile will be in front of the NYCACC in Manhattan every Saturday 12-6, and Brooklyn every Wednesday 12-6. As soon as the Vet Mobile is financially breaking even, it will expand to being assigned one day per week at the Staten Island and Bronx NYCACC also.

An exam is just $25, and vaccinations only $10. Free ID tags are provided for all patients, both dogs and cats. All services will be at the super low cost prices already established by the Safety Net Program, which has been preventing surrenders to NYCACC for the past four years. The Vet Mobile is an extension of the Safety Net Program, so that qualified pet parents have access to full veterinary services at extremely low rates. Proof of limited income or rescue adoption or rescue rehoming is necessary for qualification. For more information see News Release below.

NEW YORK, NY (July 20, 2009) – On Saturday, July 25, New Yorkers will get their first glimpse of the “Low Cost Vet Mobile” – a new mobile veterinary clinic created to help cash-strapped New Yorkers at risk of having to give up their companion animals because they can no longer afford their veterinary care. The program, developed by Garo Alexanian of Companion Animal Network and staffed by local veterinarians, will provide pet owners with affordable, preventive veterinary care and also a first step in developing relationships with veterinarians within their community.

To celebrate the launch, AC&C will host a special pet adoption promotion from noon until 7:00 pm, where dozens of wonderful dogs and cats will be available for adoption both inside the shelter and on a North Shore Animal League America adoption van parked curbside. Adoption fees for adult cats (over one year old) will be waived. In addition, vaccinations for dogs and cats will be available for $10 on the Vet Mobile, and the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals will offer extra-low-cost ($10 microchipping for cats and dogs between noon and 6:00 pm.

Traditionally, many low-income pet owners do not seek preventive veterinary care for their pets, and when their pets become ill, they surrender them to AC&C. In today’s particularly challenging economy, the number of these animals arriving at AC&C shelters has skyrocketed. “The mobile clinic will help so many pet owners that are having trouble making ends meet and caring for a sick pet at the same time,” says Richard Gentles, AC&C’s spokesperson. “We applaud Garo’s initiative, and the timing couldn’t be better.”

By providing another means of access to affordable veterinary care to low-income New York City pet owners, the Low Cost Vet Mobile is expected to substantially reduce the number of animals surrendered to city shelters, which already are at full capacity. “I expect the program will prevent approximately 5,000 surrenders over the course of a year,” says Alexanian. “This can translate to a 12-15 percent reduction in shelter intakes.”

Stemming the tide of preventable pet surrenders is crucial to the success of current efforts underway in New York City to reduce, and eventually end, the killing of healthy and treatable cats and dogs at city shelters simple because they do not have homes, according to Jane Hoffman, President of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals – the organization that spearheads the city’s efforts to become a no-kill community under a multi-million-dollar grant from Maddie’s Fund®, the Pet Rescue Foundation. “The Low Cost Vet Mobile provides another important alternative for our city’s pet owners who don’t want to part with their companion animals.” Among other programs currently available to these pet owners are the Safety Net/Pets for Life NYC program, low-cost vet care at the Humane Society of New York Veterinary Hospital in Manhattan, and the Bensonhurst Low Cost Animal Clinic in Brooklyn.

Dr. Elizabette Cohen, DVM, host of the radio program “Happy and Healthy Pet,” and author of the book Most of My Patients Wear Fur, will be the veterinarian on duty for the Low Cost Vet Mobile’s Manhattan launch on July 25, and also for the van’s premiere at AC&C’s Brooklyn shelter on Wednesday, July 29. At both launch events, Dr. Cohen will consult with patients, provide tours of the van, and also sign copies of her book, for which she will donate 100% of the proceeds from the days’ book sales to AC&C.

Going forward, the Low Cost Vet Mobile’s location will alternate between Animal Care & Control’s Manhattan and Brooklyn locations, where it will provide assistance to pet owners at two of the busiest points of entry to the New York City shelter system.”

About Companion Animal NetworkCompanion Animal Network (C.A.N.) was the force behind the creation of the NYC Animal Care and Control. Four years ago C.A.N founded the nation’s first surrender prevention program, and now it is launching the Low Cost Vet Mobile. C.A.N. has been acknowledged by the New York City Council in Resolution #985 for its efforts to bring improvements to the animal control services of New York City.

About Animal Care & Control of NYCAnimal Care & Control of New York City rescues over 43,000 animals each year, making the organization the largest pet rescue and adoption agency in the North East. Since 1995, the not-for-profit organization has been responsible for New York City’s municipal shelter system, caring for rescued animals and finding loving homes for homeless, injured, neglected, abused and abandoned animals in all five of the boroughs in New York City.

About the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s AnimalsThe Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, Inc., founded in 2002 and powered by Maddie’s Fund®, The Pet Rescue Foundation, is a coalition of more than 160 animal rescue groups and shelters that are working with the City of New York to find homes for every cat and dog in the city that needs one. For more information about the Mayor’s Alliance, its participating organizations, and pet adoptions, please visit the Mayor’s Alliance web site at www.AnimalAllianceNYC.org .

DRP Comment:

We badly need to get low-cost desexing programs running in every Council area across the country. Subsidised desexing has been shown to create dramatic results – and in the end saves council and tax payer money. Isn’t this a smarter alternative to collecting, housing and then killing thousands of healthy animals?

4 thoughts on “No Kill News – can we do this here in Australia? Affordable, low cost desexing program funded by New York City”

Hunter Animal Watch operates low cost spay/neuter for pensioners and unemployed people throughout the Lower Hunter of NSW. We usually achieve around two thousand cats and dogs desexed each year. All funded through our op shop.

We sent our Hon. Sec to the Gold Coast Conference and she has come back inspired, and hoping to work more closely with re-homing groups locally.

Yes we should have a low cost Animal care here and l would like to see more people asking our Politicians why is this never done. We have medicare for people why not for animals? Veterinarians could work hand in hand to do this with the government. This would help a lot of aged people keep their beloved pets. Vet frees are far too high l know. On the Central coast the vets here the price is never the same from one to the next. Makes me think does the money come before the poor animals. l do hope l am wrong and vets will take a stand for all animals. l am for the no kill bill good on Clover Moore coral roberts

cherry @ cat sterilisation Society/WAOctober 24, 2009 / 4:16 pm

Cat Sterilisation Society has been running a low cost cat sterilisation scheme for twenty years however only a few councils fund us and the general public does not financially support the society or the concept of low cost sterilisation. Even though done through a charity with no paid employees is very cost effective $65,000 sterilises 1000 animals, compares to council scheme 45,000 sterilises 250 cats. Anyone out there know where funds ccan be obtained, small scale fund raising takes up valuable time that could be used for promotion and education view our website catsterilisationsoc .com.au
Cherry Leonard,western australia

HelenDecember 4, 2010 / 2:22 pm

Central Coast Animal Welfare League helps with sterilization of dogs for pensioners and low income earners, have done for years.
Felines are assisted through local cat care.

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